Monthly Archives: November 2005

Reduced Commercial Clutter

On Monday I mentioned Capital Radio’s decline in the London market but completely missed the comment piece by Paul Robinson on The Guardian’s site. He notes that slashing commercial hours could ‘knock about £7m off Capital’s top-line revenue in 2006’. This I find interesting. Reducing commercial clutter (as it’s called) will hopefully drive bigger audiences. Reduced commercial airtime also makes those ads that are aired stand out more. Won’t advertisers end up paying a premium for this? Maybe not in the short term but I would have thought that in the long run it could work. But then again, what do I know?

On this day…

2005: Civil Partnership: Rabbis Are Doing it.

Civil Partnership: Rabbis Are Doing it.

Countdown to civil partnership: According to Times Online, Rabbis from Britain’s Jewish community have become the first mainstream religious grouping to authorise a gay marriage service. Liberal Judaism, which counts Michael Howard and Michael Grade among its adherents, has produced a new liturgy, Covenant of Love, to coincide with the Civil Partnership Act, which takes effect on December 5.

On this day…

2005: Reduced Commercial Clutter

Fined. Big Time.

I noted some newsworthy stories about the radio industry yesterday but forgot to mention another from last week. When I was a child, my favourite radio station was Manchester’s Piccadilly Radio. To me, it was the most exciting station in the world. Pete and Geoff, who I mentioned yesterday, started their award-winning partnership on that station. It’s now Key 103 and last week was fined the biggest ever financial penalty imposed by a regulator on a UK radio station [source]. Nothing really to add to that but I wanted to note it.

On this day…

2005: Civil Partnership: Next Of Kin?

All Change At Capital

gcap mediaWhen I first came to London, everybody listened to Capital Radio. Everybody talked about whatever Chris Tarrant did in the morning. That was a very different radio world with much less competition in the London market. Right now, I don’t know anybody who listens. Last week, GCap Media – which own Capital FM (as it’s now known)- announced a slump in profits and has promised a radical overhaul of the station. The new management are blaming the old management for the slump. Well, I guess they would, wouldn’t they?

In other news, Pete and Geoff announced they are going to split their award winning partnership and only one of them is to stay on at Virgin. I only listen to part of their show each day but have always found them quite good listening.

On this day…

2006: Our Masks
2005: Civil Partnership: Update From Scotland
2004: Oh the fun I’m having…
2004: Gary Lucy’s Birthday
2003: Pop TV
2003: Linguistic Sensitivity

Civil Partnership: Update From Scotland

Countdown to Civil Partnership: A survey for the Scottish Sunday Herald, yesterday, of local authorities has revealed that councils have received 143 provisional bookings for registering civil partnership ceremonies in the run-up to December 5, when the new law comes into force. Edinburgh City Council has the most applicants, with 59 couples registering their intent to take advantage of the new legislation. [more at the Sunday Herald]

On this day…

2006: Our Masks
2005: All Change At Capital
2004: Oh the fun I’m having…
2004: Gary Lucy’s Birthday
2003: Pop TV
2003: Linguistic Sensitivity

Civil Partnership: Westminster City Council Survey

Countdown to civil partnership: A survey of lesbian and gay people shows that many are still unaware about same sex civil partnerships less than two weeks before the Act comes into effect on December 5, according to Westminster City Council. The first same sex civil partnership ceremonies will take place on 21 December. Westminster City Council Register Office has over 100 bookings and the first couple, Roger Lockyer and Percy Stevens will register their partnership at the Register Office at 8am.

On this day…

2004: I Found Some Of Your Life
2003: Snow is Oslo?
2003: Happy Thanksgiving

Boxes Everywhere

Boxes, Boxes, BoxesThe eagle-eyed Flickr watcher might have noticed from the last Sunday’s pictures Unilever commission for the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern. It’s been undertaken by Rachel Whiteread. According to the Tate site, ‘she has created a gigantic labyrinth-like structure, entitled EMBANKMENT, made from 14,000 casts of the inside of different boxes, stacked to occupy this monumental space’ [source]. Browsing Flickr tonight I found many other people who had taken interesting pictures of the exhibition too.

On this day…

2005: Civil Partnership: What’s It All About?
2004: links for 2004-11-25
2004: Celebrity T-Shirt Auction
2003: Coolest of 2003
2002: Stuck On Me

Civil Partnership: What’s It All About?

Countdown to civil partnership: The Civil Partnership Act 2004 received Royal Assent on 18 November 2004. The Government announced on 21 February that the Act would come into force on 5 December this year. This will allow the first civil partnerships under the standard procedure to be formed on 21 December. 10 days to go and you can read all about it at the Women and Equality Unit.

On this day…

2005: Boxes Everywhere
2004: links for 2004-11-25
2004: Celebrity T-Shirt Auction
2003: Coolest of 2003
2002: Stuck On Me